The Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Friday reviewed and validated the Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) for 2026–2030 to expand access to affordable child-spacing services across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Dambam, said the plan would provide policy direction for effective family planning service delivery once approved by the State Executive Council (SEC).
He commended UNFPA for its support in providing family planning commodities, describing the partnership as crucial to expanding access for women and adolescents in primary healthcare facilities across Bauchi State.
Dambam assured stakeholders that the ministry would forward the validated plan to the SEC for consideration and approval, noting that its implementation would strengthen maternal and adolescent health outcomes statewide.
The Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, disclosed that the state recently received a consignment of family planning commodities from UNFPA for distribution to local health centres.
He added that the state government had released N15 million as its counterpart contribution, while efforts were ongoing to secure the remaining N17 million to support additional procurement of commodities.
Mohammed lauded the support of the governor, local government chairmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media in promoting awareness and uptake of family planning services across communities in the state.
He warned that poor birth spacing exposes women to life-threatening complications and stressed that effective child-spacing interventions play a critical role in reducing maternal and infant mortality.
The UNFPA Country Representative, Ms Muriel Mafico, commended the Bauchi State Government for validating the CIP, describing the development as a major milestone in strengthening family planning programmes in the state.
She said the N4.38 billion plan aligns with UNFPA’s mandate to achieve zero unmet need for family planning and zero preventable maternal deaths, with a projected return on investment of about N10 billion.
A consultant supporting the plan, Dr Mohammed Liman, said the validation marked the final stage before submission for official government approval and statewide implementation.
He noted that modern contraceptive prevalence in Bauchi State improved from two per cent in 2008 to 10.6 per cent in 2024, although unmet need for child-spacing remained high at 22 per cent among women.
Liman said the plan targets the expansion of services through the upgrade of 125 health facilities, establishment of adolescent-friendly centres, and provision of inclusive services for persons with disabilities across the state.
He added that the CIP also forecasts commodity requirements for the five-year period to ensure uninterrupted supply, addressing rising demand as more women and adolescents access family planning services.
According to him, effective implementation of the plan would reduce maternal and infant deaths, improve reproductive health outcomes and strengthen the state’s healthcare delivery system.
